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How do I set up an intro flight?

What is an "Intro Flight"?

NFA intro flights are designed to get your feet wet, to get a glimpse of the high life. We offer these intro flights to non-members so you can see what exactly it is that attracts people into getting their own wings. We hope you will enjoy it enough to come and join us! The more members in our club, the more aircraft we can justify buying, which means more options for you!

What is an "Intro Flight" comprised of?

An intro flight is the first step towards a pilot certificate, and it is designed to give a student the basic expectations of becoming a pilot. We touch on a number of subjects taught to flight students before climbing into an aircraft (called the pre-flight briefing), ranging from ground handling, such as where to grab a prop to pull an airplane; to safety orientation, such as fire extinguishers and safety harnesses; and a short brief on aerodynamics 101 so you know what feelings you will experience on your trip!

Upon the completion of the pre-flight briefing, you will climb into the aircraft, where you will be briefed on the systems as the aircraft engine warms up and taxis out to the run-up zone. The flight time clock is ticking, but guess what? With the engine running, you are already logging time for a license! At run-up, the aircraft will be stress-tested while still on the ground to identify if there are any potential safety hazards, and to abort if any are found. When completed successfully, the final checks are performed as the call to the tower is made, runway lineup, and you are off!

Do I get to control anything?

Except for touchdown during final approach for landings, your instructor will allow you to control the aircraft as much as you like to both of your comforts. If you feel too nervous to control the aircraft, then just tell him/her what you want to see! It is perfectly normal for a person to be very reluctant to take the helm on their first flight as there is a lot of sensations, but don't let it stop you from enjoying it any way you can!

What does it feel like to control the plane? How hard is it?

No matter what anyone tells you, the actual *flying* part is easy. It is like driving a car on a HUGE parking lot with only a few other people to share it with. It's all the rules, regulations, air traffic control, and procedures that is overwhelming. However, it's your first time flying, you just worry about the flying part, your instructor will take care of all the extra stuff, just enjoy it!

What if there is an accident? I don't want to die!

We hear that a lot. The reality is, most accidents in the USA are minor, fatal accidents are extremely rare.

Even more to the point, a lot of accidents in all industries occur because of stupid intentions. "Hold my Beer!" and "Watch This!" are famous last words, and pilots like this are the ones who are in crashes. We don't subscribe to risk taking.

Simply put, the people with level heads, cautious attitudes, and respect for their aircraft are the ones who live to old age. The ones who do not show this respect are not allowed in our club, especially as instructors.

Additionally, some of our aircraft have a "Ballistic Recovery System". In simple words: a parachute for the ENTIRE AIRPLANE!

Is there an age limit?

Would you believe that we had an instructor who was teaching his three-year old how to fly? There is no age limit to learn to fly (but there is an age limit to when a person can fly by themselves), and the time yo

u have logged never expires if you keep the records! It is not unheard of for someone to have flown with their father when they were young, only to come back 40 years later with their logbooks to finish their training!

What about weights?

Aircraft are made for speed. Relative to cars, and especially ships, they cannot carry a lot. They also are not easy to give a straight figure on how heavy you can be, because each aircraft has a different tolerance.

Therefore, for simplicity, the weight limit on all aircraft is 260 pounds per person.

What about glasses? Or colorblindness? How about medical problems?

As long as corrective lenses give you normal or near normal vision, there is no issue with flying. There are even colorblind pilots!

On rare occasion, some individuals who do not qualify to be a pilot will still fly with instructors. There is nothing in the regulations prohibiting you from enjoying flying with an instructor as much as you want, even though you don't qualify medically. It's a little more expensive, but there are individuals who still yearn for their wings and won't be held down by their medical conditions!

Can I bring a camera?

You can bring a camera to take pictures or video. You can even bring a phone (set it to airplane mode!).

Alright enough talk, what do I need to do to get started?!

Our intro flights are a great way to test the waters, just contact us to get one scheduled!